The Dog House Inn, Resort and Training Center

Let me say first that I am very cautious of business that care to animals, children and elderly people because the majority of this group can not verbally tell you if they received good care or not.
We boarded our two dogs last Saturday, we paid for a over night stay with an extra package for the dogs to be bathed, nails cut 3 fifteen minute walks etc.
First impression, the greeting area was very dark, you could hear a lot of dogs barking. I peeked over the wall blocking the dog area from the front and I saw a lot of dogs in a large enclosed area. There was a person cleaning up if any of the dogs happened to leave a mess on the floor. This was about noon or 1 p.m.I was rather surprised that there were no dogs outside and there was no one inside of the pen area playing with the dogs.
When I was showed where my dogs (Aussies) would be staying it was a room not much bigger than a closet and there was one cot for the dogs to sleep on. I told the girl that it was to small and she said that they had other larger rooms and that they would clean one for my dogs. We had made reservations, they knew how big my dogs were, why were they going to be put into the small room in the first place?
When we returned at 9 a.m. the next morning the girl said oh you are here early if she was stressed. There were still no dogs outside nor did I see a grassy area it was all dirt. The girl then proceeded to tell us that she was going to refund us the 24.00 charge for trimming the dogs nails because they were short yesterday and the nails weren’t done. Now I start to wonder that if they couldn’t trim the nails what else didn’t my dogs get that I had paid for? Were they walked the 3 times they were suppose to be walked? My male dog was not bathed, as we paid for and I truly do not believe that my female was bathed, I suspect that she was just sprayed with some perfume and if she was bathed they did a really poor job.
After we got our dogs they were very excited so we decided to walk they a bit before putting them in the car for a long trip home. The first thing each dog did was relieve then selves both pooping an urinating acting like they needed to go right now. I know my dogs that is the first time they had been let out of their room to go potty, at 9 a.m. in the morning, Can I prove that my dogs didn’t get the care promised, NO. Can the dogs tell me what kind of care they received, NO
The people who run this place can tell you anything or could say just what you want to hear. Can they make over your animal when you are standing there, and tell you how much fun your dog had and how wonderful he or she is of course.
As I have said can I prove anything, NO Can the people who run this business repudiate everything i have said, oh I am sure they can give all kinds of logical explanations. Will I recommend this place, NO Pictures can be staged, and they can offer you all kinds of packages but if the dogs don’t get what you have paid for…
Do they get good care, depends on your definition of good. I do not believe that the animals were abused in any way that is not my intent,
I would guess that the dogs are kept inside in large pen most of the day and probably as soon as the door closes for business the dogs are put into their rooms and stay there for who knows low long.

We picked up our 2 dogs from their weekend stay at The Dog House Inn and we could not be happier!
Starting with the initial reservation, there are many options that can be added and every detail is discussed. At check-​in the staff is very friendly and professional, always willing to accommodate our requests for our spoiled pups. The facility is always clean and lobby welcoming. We add lots of playtime to their stay, along with some day training. When we picked them up yesterday from their mini-​vacation, their left over food was ready to go in a nice re-​usable Dog House Inn tote, and it was obvious they were freshly bathed because they smelled soooo clean!
Newly added at check-​out is the doggy report card… let me tell you, this is great! I always want to interrogate the staff, «how did they do?», «did they eat well?», or «did they behave?» but I dont want to seem like the crazy dog lady. And now I dont have to! The report card is very clear about their behavior during playtime, meals, overall temperament, and even potty time. This was how we found out Optimus is a little more «talkative» and «energetic» than Ivy while there. There is space for added comments by the staff.
Our pets regularly stay at the Dog House Inn for day care as well as extended boardings.
We trust the staff with the care of our animal family members and do not have to worry about them while we are away.
Thank you so much Dog House Inn!
Monica

I do not even know where to begin. I am so truly thankful for both Alex and Dave at Dog Behavior Rehab and the wonderful staff at the Dog House Inn. My husband and I rescued a dog that we had no real history on about three months ago. He is a 5 year old Cane Corso named Monty with what appeared to be serious leash aggression issues and major anxiety. Its like that old saying goes, you can’t help who you fall in love with and although Monty has is issues he is impossible not to love and is now part of this family.
After discovering the aggression I called at least a dozen different trainers. Most of them said the same thing, they wanted to shock collar monty or «reboot» him so to speak and most of them wanted him to be boarded with them overnight for at least three to four weeks. Although I do not know a lot about dog training, I knew one thing was for sure that is not what I wanted for this dog. As we were getting close to the end of our rope my husband found Alex. He was so impressed with him on the phone that we immediately went to meet with them the next day. Dave was so down to earth and I knew instantly I wanted them training my dog. We were able to drop monty off every day and pick him up every night. We would get daily texts, videos and picture updates that further proved we had made the right decision. Alex is unbelievably professional and the bonus to his dedicated training is that I can really tell he cares for my dog as much as me and wants to see the end results as much as we do. He has worked with us as well as monty and we have really made some amazing progress.
As someone who has never trusted anyone with my dogs I am so happy to say I would highly recommend Dog Behavior Rehab. I am so happy to know I have two amazing trainers that I can learn from to be a better dog owner to the amazing dogs in my life.

A big thanks you to Dog Behavior Rehab/​Dog House Inn… Our Lab had some serious anxiety followed by high energy, even though we loved her– her improvement is much appreciated around the house… Thanks to Alex (our dog trainer) he was able to get diesel to a calmer state of mind, along with other skills. I am a mom to an 11 month old baby. Before Alex worked with diesel, I was unable to walk her by myself– being that diesel walked me. After working with Alex, I am proud to say she now walks perfect on a leash. Last he taught her «place», this command has been my lifesaver at home. Before Alex worked with Diesel– I could never be on the floor with the baby without her right in my face. Now, I simply point to her dog bed (as diesel knows it — «place») she will walk over sit down and stay until I excuse her. Overall we are pleased with the experience and look forward to boarding our dogs there in the future.

I love this place. I have left Max here on two occasions while on vacation and multiple times for only the day. When I pick him up he’s always so happy & well taken care of. I can enjoys vacation without worrying about him. Dog house Inn is great!

Let me begin by saying this. The Dog House Inn is the only place that I trust to take care of my dogs, whether it for daycare, overnight boarding, or training (Dog Behavior Rehab, I’ll mention this later). My three dogs Lechita, Rio, and Sparrow and I are «regulars» and though I live in San Jose and there are other dog daycare facilities in closer proximity, I make the drive to Gilroy on a weekly basis. While at work I am at peace knowing that my dogs are being supervised with competent staff members who genuinely care about them.
I initially began bringing my dog Lechita, an energetic Jack Russell mix, for overnight lodging and was immediately impressed with Sherry, the owner of the Dog House Inn on her observation of my pampered pup, who can be feisty. I was afraid that Lechita could never be boarded because of her temperament and I was equally hesitant to leave my beloved dog with strangers for the first time. I’m delighted to say, Lechita did well that first night and continues to do well when staying overnight or while at daycare. My decision to rescue three Doberman-​Pit mixes (Pittermans) occurred not long after and being an unplanned event, required a lot of medical care, socializing, and training. Lechita was my first and only dog… I was way in over my head. The staff at the Dog House Inn provided a safe place for my dogs, as little pups to get properly socialized and they received adequate care while at daycare when they suffered from severe food issues. There are no words to describe the compassion and support I have received from Sherry, Dawn, the manager, and all of the staff. Rio and Sparrow are now training with Alex, a trainer at the Dog Behavior Rehab, the facility’s dog training program and they have made so much progress in a short amount of time. Can you imagine… three dogs? I have my hands full! He is professional, passionate, his techniques are effective, and he cares deeply for all of the dogs he works with. David, also a trainer there, is always welcoming, friendly, and exudes confidence when working with clients. I am grateful for all of the support I have received from the staff at the Dog House Inn and will continue to enjoy the happy wags and smiling faces of my dogs when I pick them up each week.

THANK YOU Dog House Inn and Dog Behavior Rehab! We highly recommend this place to anyone looking for doggie behavior training! We adopted 2 year old Rosie from San Martin Animal Shelter. She was a sweetie but she was hyper and had social issues; we knew she needed serious training, so I made an appointment to meet with the Dog Behavior Rehab team. We met with David who was very professional, personable, and friendly. He assessed Rosie’s behavior and thoroughly explained the programs available. I felt very confident in the program that David, Sherry, and Alex would implement and they did not disappoint! Today she is doing amazing and its thanks to this crew!
I was immediately struck with how knowledgeable and professional everyone was and how much they loved dogs. I noted that the programs offered were not cookie-​cutter discipline but tailored to the dogs temperament. They emphasized the importance of our involvement in the follow-​on and that it was a family commitment to make it work.
During her program, we received regular updates via FB, text, and email. Whenever I called, David or Alex was immediately able to give me detailed information about Rosie. They also called me several times to check in and ask questions so that we were always informed about how she was progressing. We always felt that Rosie was in good hands! It was absolutely WORTH THE INVESTMENT because they were able to get Rosie to a confident, happy place.
We board Rosie regularly at the Dog House Inn and she loves it there!
Sherry, Alex, Dawn, David — you do amazing things AND WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH! :-)

Thank you for another fabulous stay for our dog Ruby! It’s such a relief to be able to relax while on vacation and know our baby is in good hands!

I love the Dog House Inn, and the amazing people who are so dedicated to the pups we call family and share our lives with!
My experience of the owner, Sherry, is always like watching magic happen, as she intuitively just knows the best way to be with dogs of pretty much all shapes, temperaments and sizes. I’ve seen her teach stubborn dogs very gently and calmly how to behave well, and even the grumpy ones melt in her hands :-)
What I also appreciate is whenever I’ve had a question about a behavior change or minor health challenge I’ve been able to turn to You and know you’ll either know what’s up or will tell me if you don’t and who to go to for help.
You’re the star and it’s such a gift that when I’m out of town I KNOW my animals are in the best hands possible. Yours!
Love love love!

The owner of the dog house inn allows her ego to get involved in the simple things that her established failed to do for my dog Kiwi. The lack of communication is the main reason why I have a problem with this place. After misleading us with the length of stay that was stated as about 18 days (turned into 35 days) for a dog that we stated had only dog aggression issues with dogs within our family not outside dogs. Yet the suggested treatment had nothing to do with involving my other 2 dogs. She states «severe dog aggression» yet she was never involved in any of the meetings prior to us paying her company $ 3800. How would she even know what was stated as she was never involved in the discussion. The person that was involved in the original meeting was fired after we brought the issues of absolutely NO communication about how Kiwi was doing during the training. Kiwi lost 20% of her body weight during the stay where we only received «she is fine and she is a good dog». Yet no reason why they kept her for 2x the stated time for training (Sherry told me directly in a recorded discussion that they removed the stated time frame from the intro literature after our compliant). If we were told at any time that Kiwi was acting lethargic (she is a 9 year old boxer and those with boxers know… they are not lethargic… ever). Also if someone had said we don’t think you gave us enough food daily to feed her as she seems to be loosing weight… that also would have been good to know. Instead those items and more were left for us to find out when we were finally allowed to pick her up. I will say that she did state to me during a face to face meeting with her to state my concerns that she was making changes to address multiple issues I brought to her attention. This session was recorded as requested by her lawyer. One other item I brought to her attention was that Kiwi was scared to death when brought into the room for us to pick her up. The training room where I assumed she was in for 35 days of training. Not until I met weeks later with her did she say… oh no we didn’t train her there because she didn’t like the flooring. Though Kiwi had never had a problem with any type of flooring… I stated… ok lets say she has a problem with the flooring… then why have us pick her up on flooring that you state (not the trainers that were there the night we picked her up) she doesn’t like. Sherry told me directly that moving forward they would send owners to pick up dogs to the area of the facility that the training was completed. Also the trainers that were involved in bringing Kiwi out to us could not get her to perform any type of commands… none…after 35 days. Kiwi ran right to the gate that was near the front door. I guess that could be looked at as impressive that she knew the way out of a room that she did not spend much time in. The trainers told us that Kiwi didn’t seem to be comfortable during the time in her kennel. So much so that they laid with her to help make her comfortable. I agree… that make sense… however that would have been good to know. There are many more items that we should have been told during the training.
I suggest a few requests if you decide to use the Dog House Inn. Ask for regular scheduled updates live or on the phone and ask specific questions about your dogs demeanor so you can say… that is not how she normally acts so they can make adjustments. do not pay everything up front as this is a service and services are not fully rendered until it is all over. Progress payments like you do with contractors. If they are going to do a good job… they will get paid so no harm to the facility. Make sure they always have management available that are overseeing things. We apparently got caught in a vortex of the owner on vacation, head of training (now fired) out at a conference, and additional management getting married. Verify that their scale is working. I was told the scale was not working but was being fixed.
These are just a few items that I would confirm have been addressed by the facility before using. We are being blamed for Kiwi loosing 20% of her body weight because we didn’t provide enough food. They were given the same amount of food she always eats (as depicted in a pic on The Dog House Inn’s webpage… takes Sherry). The amount was for 2 weeks of training… the assumed amount of time since Kiwi was a well behaved dog with a some behavior issues with dogs within the family. Even if we didn’t provide enough food or as they then stated… she was sick… Boxers loose weight when kenneled… all responses that I simply said… that would have been good for someone to tell us since she was in YOUR care.
Make your own decisions… but I suggest asking a lot of questions before using. One bad experience taking care of your dog is all that matters to you. Look at her web page she created about Kiwi… that is what you are dealing with…

We recently had severe water damage and mold in our home which required us to move out of our home temporarily and board our two boxers for almost 4 months. Our insurance said they would cover the boarding fees and the ONLY place I would consider taking our pups to was The Dog House Inn. They have cared for our dogs in the past when we have traveled and we knew that they would take extra care to make sure they were given their correct diets and needed exercise.
Our temporary housing would have allowed dogs but only small dogs and, although both our boxers are on the smaller side, they would not have been happy being confined like that. We knew that Dog House Inn would take care of them and that they would be much happier there than in a hotel suite.
Both our dogs are on grain-​free diets due to some earlier health issues and when a person takes their beloved dogs to the Dog House Inn, they are given paper work to fill out. This paperwork allows the pet owners to give full descriptions of any health needs, special diets, likes and dislikes, how the pet responds to other dogs, feeding schedules, etc. They make sure the pet owners provide them with the pet’s vaccine records and name and number of their vets in the event of illness or emergency.
Also — our older boxer is «reactive» to certain other dogs and so the staff at The Dog House Inn knows this and keeps her away from other dogs, except for her little «brother». They make sure that she gets a lot of daily exercise and play time with our other dog but they keep her separate from the others. We have spoken to several other pet care places in the past and if your dog can’t be part of the daily «pack», then they won’t make considerations for your dog. The Dog House Inn understands our dog and accommodates to her special needs.
I would highly recommend The Dog House Inn to anyone needing boarding for their dogs while they travel or even just for doggie day care needs. These people know their business and they will do their utmost to keep your dogs healthy and happy (and well loved) during your absence.

The Dog House Inn is a very special place. Dawn and her crew are just amazing with the dogs including my little Brianna. I’ve been taking her there for daycare since she was a puppy. I’ve also boarded her there several times with no worries. I knew as soon as I met Dawn and Stefanie– talked with them– took a tour of the Inn, I knew Bree would be in good hands. Bree loves to run and play with the other dogs:.this was great for socializing her. I love, and Bree loves, the special events and parties that they put on during the year also. Dawn has even offered to take Brianna in to see the vet for me during the week to get her vaccines. This saved me time on a Saturday. That was great! I can’t say enough about the crew at the Inn. Thank you Sherry for bringing such a wonderful place to Gilroy.

The staff and facility are truly amazing! I just picked up our dog today after a 5 day stay. They sent me updates and pics via text message and took such good care of our baby! Dawn was so sweet and gave me a tour of their beautiful facility when I dropped our dog off. She came home happy, tired from playing with the other dogs, and clean (they gave her a bath and groom). Dog House Inn is awesome!!!

I just got an update on how my little guys are doing, along with some pictures! I think the very happy looks on their little faces say it all. :)

We moved a few weeks ago from Gilroy to Morgan Hill. The upswing of the economy has made our commute out of Gilroy hellacious. The scant miles in between these two southern most towns of Santa Clara accumulate to 30-​minutes drive time during rush hour. We were sad when we concluded that Irving would no longer be able to go to daycare because that would mean we would have to backtrack to Gilroy to drop/​pick him up.
After reading the reviews of other doggie daycare facilities closer to hubby’s work, we weren’t convinced that they would give Irving as much loving care as Dawn, Stephanie, and Dusty have provided. Also, after having viewed Irving stay at home (we watch him on his Ustream channel while we are away at work), we could see that he appeared restless in our new home. In addition, we could see that he was extra clingy to us when we came home which is highly unusual for this bulldog who is usually confident and aloof with his parents (we are lucky when we get a 2-​second tail wag from him which tires him out). I think Irving must see that we have «suckers» written on our forehead, and he knows that he has us wrapped around his dew claw. So we have decided that at least once a week, one of us will schlep this royal highness to daycare so that he can remain with his canine and human friends. It is worth it to see how he brightens when one of them come to greet him with kisses on his handsome face!

We took our boxer mix, Molly, to Brittany and the team at the Dog House Inn because we were at the end of our rope. Molly had had several run-​ins with other dogs, including an incident which caused the other dog to need a trip to the vet to get a staple behind its ear. While we had taken Molly to other training shortly after we adopted her, we realized that was not enough and we needed to either get her more training or try to find her a new home. Based on the feedback we got from shelters, finding her a new home was not possible, and many of the trainers we approached essentially told us she was a lost cause.
We knew that Molly was essentially a good dog but had trouble controlling herself, so we didn’t want to give up on her that easily, so we kept searching and eventually found the Dog House Inn. We took Molly down for an evaluation with Brittany, and she very quickly recognized that Molly’s issue was just that she gets too excited, and when she does she loses control. Based on Molly’s history we ended up doing a 15-​day training with additional time for behavior modification. Ultimately she stayed there for about 21 days.
Boy what a difference! Molly returned to us much more relaxed and well-​behaved. We also got some of the people training we needed to help us effectively recognize and correct her residual behavioral issues so we could jump in earlier and make sure she didn’t get out of control. Brittany made sure we were up to date on Molly’s progress throughout the training process, sending us emails and posting pictures and videos to Facebook.
The only point for improvement I have is general communication. It can sometimes be difficult to reach the people working at the Dog House Inn, as they are slow to respond to emails and don’t always answer the phone. It is well worth the extra effort to make sure you reach them, though, as they do a fantastic job!

Brittany, Alex and everyone at the Dog Behavior Rehab are absolutely amazing. Tulsa, my five-​year-​old chocolate lab, just returned home after a 5-​week stay for behavior aggression problems. She was only signed up for the 15-​day program, but before her original stay was even over Brittany said that she would like to keep working with her because she had faith that she would continue to progress.
My boyfriend had just recently gotten a black lab puppy named Brody, and wanted to sign him up for training to get him started on the right foot (after having Tulsa we wanted to make sure we socialized him from the beginning in the best way possible) so we contacted Brittany right away, asking advice on how to make it easiest on both of them and the best direction to go. She was so accommodating and signed Brody up right away, even keeping him an extra few days to make sure that the two of them got socialization together. Brittany made sure that I had her cell phone number and told me to use it as often as I needed. She was great about returning texts and checking in on the dogs during their stay. She has continued to help us adjust to at-​home life as well, quickly responding to emails and any questions and concerns I have had. Tulsa has a completely different demeanor already after only being home for a few days, and she is doing great.
Although it is still a day-​by-​day process to continue working on her socialization with other dogs, I couldn’t be more satisfied with the training she received and can’t wait for our follow up training sessions with Brittany and the Dog Behavior Rehab program.

I cried for two days after understanding the horror my dog experienced at Dog House Inn! Lots of 5 star reviews, look out if something goes wrong, they didn’t call me, they wiped my dogs infected eye till the skin around his eye peeled off. Dog house inn waited 5 days to take my dog to the vet, his infection was so bad he almost lost that eye. Tony had to be kept in isolation for a week, separated from his brother, locked away and forgotten. When I picked him up he whimpered then collapsed.

This place is fabulous. Our wonderful dog recently passed, but when she was still brightening our lives we would board her here if we went on vacation. We had tried various other places before, but we could tell she wasn’t happy. Her whole demeanor would change when we brought her elsewhere. From the very first time we brought her here, she still seemed like her happy little self.
It’s basically a biiiiig warehouse, with fencing to cordon off areas within. One thing that could have been a big issue for us was the all-​cement floors. Our girl was up there in years, and she couldn’t easily hold herself up on slick surfaces. But the owners came to the rescue! They put little booties on her which gave her the traction she needed to comfortably get around. I thought that was just top-​notch service. She did so well in the booties that we went out and bought her a pair for when she came home. :)
They treat the dogs exceptionally well here, and I always felt comfortable leaving our girl here the few times we had to.

Fabulous place! I am too tired to do this review justice but wanted to express my thanks to the folks at the Dog House Inn! My dog was too busy saying goodbye to his new human friends when I went to get him to even say hello to me!